PHILADELPHIA (September 18, 2026) — District Attorney Larry Krasner and the DAO’s Homicide and Non-Fatal Shootings Unit announced charges against Defendant Chardae Sapp for her role in a fatal fire that killed one person and injured four others in the city’s Kingsessing neighborhood earlier this year.
Defendant Chardae Sapp (DOB 07/31/1992) is charged with the following:
- Murder (H)
- Attempt to Commit Murder (4 counts) (H)
- Aggravated Assault (4 counts) (F1)
- Arson (F1)
- Causing/Risking Catastrophe (F1)
- Possessing Instruments of Crime (M1)
- Recklessly Endangering Another Person (M2)
On February 4, 2026 at approximately 1:38 am, members of the Philadelphia Fire Department responded to a fire located on the 5400 block of Regent Street in Kingsessing. Upon arrival at the location, firefighters were met by residents of the property outside of the burning house. The residents were eventually transported to Penn-Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. While working to extinguish the fire, the decedent, later identified as Raymond Bell (DOB 6/16/2000), was found unresponsive and suffering from burns in a 2nd floor bedroom. Bell was transported to Penn-Presbyterian Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 2:29 am.
Witness interviews established that Chardae Sapp was the last known occupant of the room where the fire originated and departed the residence shortly before discovery of the fire.
Philadelphia fire marshals responded to the scene, conducted an investigation and preliminarily determined the fire to be an arson. Based upon several factors, they also determined that the fire originated in the second-floor front bedroom when an open flame was applied to available combustibles consisting of bedding and mattress materials.
“This is a terrible tragedy that should have never happened and could have been even deadlier if the fire had spread faster,” said District Attorney Larry Krasner. “Thank you to the first responders on the scene, the Philadelphia Fire Department for containing the fire and the Philadelphia Fire Marshalls and the Philadelphia Police Department for their work on this investigation. Our office looks forward to pursuing a fair and just outcome in this case and continuing to support the co-survivors.”
###
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for the prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually. Learn more about the DAO by visiting PhillyDA.org.